Kardemummabullar (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

"Pass the kardemummabullar, please."  There's a reason why the Swedes insist on having sweet breads like these cardamom buns for their fika, or coffee break.  These beautifully twisted, pillowy soft rolls have a delicate flavor of cardamom.

Want more sweet bread recipes? Try our delicious pulla bread and känellangd.

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About

These are sweet yeast rolls filled with a caradamom-cinnamon-sugar mixture and twisted around itself.  The dough is brushed with egg, sprinkled with pearl sugar, and baked until golden.  They have a beautifully soft texture and a wonderful spiced flavor!

Ingredients

It doesn't take any fancy ingredients to make these Swedish cardamom buns. Let's talk about the key ingredients in these kardemummabullar!

• Bread Flour: I use bread flour here because it has a higher protein content, which creates more gluten, giving the bread a fluffier texture and higher rise.
• Cardamom: Use freshly ground green cardamom pods for the very best flavor and aroma.
• Pearl Sugar: These special white flecks of sugar are sprinkled on top of the buns before baking to add a touch of sweetness. You can make your own as a substitute with granulated sugar and water.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make

Start by measuring out the ingredients for the bread dough.

1. Pour the milk, butter, lard, sugar, salt, cardamom, and orange zest in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the fats are melted.
2. Pour the liquid into a stand mixer and add the flour, mixing well between each addition, until a sticky dough forms.

3. Knead on medium-low speed for 3-5 minutes until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, is smooth, and passes the windowpane test (see the recipe below for an explanation of this technique).

4. Place the dough in a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

5. Let it prove in a warm place until doubled in size.

6. Roll out the dough to a large rectangle and brush with softened butter, then sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar and ground cardamom.

7. Fold the dough in thirds, like you would for a business letter. Roll out the folded dough to make a larger rectangle, then cut into 24 strips.

8. Twist two strips of dough together, then wrap the twist around your hand once.  Tuck the end underneath and poke it up the center to shape the bun.

9. Let the buns prove for 20-30 minutes, until they've increased in size and the dough springs back when prodded with a fingertip.

10. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  Immediately brush the buns with sieved marmalade and sprinkle with pearl sugar or sliced almonds.

Enjoy your delicious, homemade cardamom bun! Whether you're enjoying your cardamom bun at fika or some other time, you'll be glad you made this gorgeous Swedish bread. 

Recipe FAQs

Serve

Wondering what to serve with these kardemummabullar? Make sure to make a cup of coffee using one of Sweden's favorite coffee brewing methods. Or, you can brew some java using the French press method, moka pot method, or pour over method.

Round out the fika table with some other Swedish treats. You'll definitely want to try our Swedish tea ring and kanellängd. If it's close to St. Lucia Day (December 13), make sure to try these beautiful St. Lucia buns.

Store

Leftovers: Baked cardamom buns can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days if they are sealed in an airtight container. However, they taste the best soon after baking, and for the best taste, you should freeze them as soon as possible.

Freezing: Seal the buns inside of a zip-top freezer bag, press out the excess air, and freeze for up to 1 month.  Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave.

Expert Tips

• If you add too much flour to the dough, just add a little water or milk to make it sticky again.  A dry dough is not good.
• Let the dough rise (aka prove) in a warm, but not hot, place.  Otherwise, it will take a long time to prove.
• You can make them the night before and let them prove in the fridge overnight.  Let them warm up to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
• Don't worry if they don't look the same.  It gives them character!
• If they are browning too quickly in the oven, cover them with aluminum foil.

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Recipe

Kardemummabullar (Swedish Cardamom Buns)

These beautiful Swedish cardamom buns, or kardemummabullar, are the perfect sweet treat for your next coffee break (fika).  Learn how to make these mouthwatering homemade yeast rolls with this recipe.

4.5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Swedish

Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 12 large buns

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients

 

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US ImperialMetric

For the Dough

• ▢ 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lard
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fast-action yeast
• ▢ 5 cups bread flour

For the Filling

• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 3 teaspoons ground cardamom

For the Decoration

• ▢ ⅓ cup orange marmalade
• ▢ ¼ cup pearl sugar or sliced almonds

Instructions

Making the Dough

• Pour the milk, sugar, butter, lard, cardamom, salt, and orange zest in a medium saucepan set over low heat.  Stir frequently until the fats have melted and the mixture is warm.  Remove from the heat, place on the counter and allow the liquid to cool to 115°F.
• Pour the liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then add the eggs and yeast.  Dump in the flour one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition, until a sticky dough has formed.  You might not need all the flour, or you might need a little extra, depending on the brand of flour and the humidity.
• Switch to a dough hook and knead for 3-5 minutes on medium-low speed.  The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and become smooth.  It will still be a little sticky.  Test the dough by stretching a lump of it between the thumb and forefinger of each hand to create a windowpane.  The dough should stretch to be translucent without breaking.  If it does break, knead for a minute longer and check again.
• Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough prove in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Shaping

• Line two 11 by 17-inch rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix together the brown sugar and ground cardamom until well blended.
• Roll the dough out to a 13 by 17-inch rectangle and spread it evenly with the softened butter.  Evenly sprinkle the sugar mixture on top, then smooth it out with your hand.
• Fold the dough as you would a business letter, then roll it out to at least 7 by 14 inches.  Cut the dough into 24 strips.
• To shape a bun, stack two strips of dough on top of each other and twist them together tightly.  Wrap the twist around your left hand once, then tuck the end underneath and pull it through the center to form a knot.  (See the instructional photos in the post for a visual demonstration.)  Repeat with the remaining strips.
• Space the buns evenly apart on the prepared cookie sheets, then place the trays inside of a large, clean garbage bag.  Inflate the bag and tuck the loose ends under the tray to seal.
• Let the dough prove in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until they have noticeably increased in size and the dough springs back quickly when gently poked with a fingertip.
• About 10 minutes before they have finished proving, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Baking

• Stack each tray on top of another tray to insulate the bottom.  This will help prevent the buns from burning in the oven.
• Bake the trays one at a time at 375°F for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  The buns should be a beautiful golden brown and have an internal temperature of 190-200°F on a meat thermometer.

Decorating

• While the first tray of buns is baking, heat the marmalade in a small saucepan set over medium heat.  Stir constantly until the marmalade has melted.  Push the jam through a sieve using a spoon to remove the chunks of orange peel.
• As soon as they come out of the oven, place them on wire racks to cool and brush them with the sieved marmalade.  This will add to the flavor, enhance their golden color, and give the crust a glorious shine.
• Sprinkle the buns with pearl sugar or sliced almonds, then leave to cool.  Store at room temperature in a zip-top bag, or freeze for later.

Notes

• If you accidentally add too much flour to the dough, add milk or water a little at a time until the dough is sticky again.
• Let the dough prove in a warm place to encourage growth.
• If they are getting too dark while they bake, cover them with aluminum foil.
• You can make them the night before and let them prove in the fridge overnight.  Let them warm up to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
• Leftover buns?  Freeze them in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 1 month and defrost in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bunCalories: 373kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 60g (20%)Protein: 10g (20%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mg (16%)Sodium: 426mg (19%)Potassium: 170mg (5%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 459IU (9%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 79mg (8%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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